Famous British People a to z

Actor Cary Grant performed in films from the 1930s through the 1960s. He starred in several Hitchcock films, including the 1959 hit North by Northwest.

Hugh Grant is a Golden Globe Award-winning British actor who starred in Four Weddings and a Funeral and the film adaptation of Bridget Jones's Diary.

British poet Robert Graves is best known for writing his first volumes of poetry, primarily about war, while serving at the Western Front during World War I.

British film and theater actor Rupert Graves starred in the period films A Room with a View and Maurice, and the plays The Iceman Cometh and Closer.

The heavy set British actor Sydney Greenstreet made a name for himself as a character actor, taking on villainous, scheming roles, such as Kasper Gutman in The Maltese Falcon.

Rupert Grint is a British actor best known for his role as Harry Potter's best friend Ronald "Ron" Weasley in the film series based on J.K. Rowling's bestselling books.

Ioan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor best known for playing Horatio Hornblower in the Emmy Award-winning A&E miniseries.

Alec Guinness is an Oscar-winning British actor known for his roles in films like Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago and Star Wars.

British actor Edmund Gwenn's claim to fame was his unforgettable role as Santa Claus in the classic Miracle on 34th Street.

Geri Halliwell was known as "Ginger Spice" in the all-girl, British pop group the Spice Girls. Halliwell has the most No. 1 singles of any female musician in U.K. history.

Andrew Hamilton was a lawyer who defended John Peter Zenger in a case that marked the first victory for freedom of the press in the American colonies.

In 1966, Thomas Hamilton attacked a classroom at Dunblane Primary School in the U.K.

Scottish actor John Hannah played a supporting role opposite Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell in Four Weddings and a Funeral and was also in Sliding Doors.

James Hanratty was hanged in 1962 after being convicted of shooting a couple near London, but his guilt is still disputed.

Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet who set his work--including The Return of the Native and Far from the Madding Crowd--in the semi-fictionalized county of Wessex.

Jared Harris is a prolific British actor known for his role on the TV series Mad Men, and his performances in the films Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Lincoln.

Naomie Harris is a British actress best known for her roles in 28 Days Later, After the Sunset, the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and Skyfall (2012).

George Harrison was lead guitarist of The Beatles as well as a singer-songwriter on many of their most memorable tracks.

Rex Harrison was a Tony- and an Oscar-winning English actor known for his film and stage performances. His most famous role is that of Henry Higgins in the film musical My Fair Lady.

Eva Hart was one of the Titanic's most outspoken survivors, criticizing the White Star Line for failing to provide sufficient lifeboats for all of the passengers of the infamous ship.

Stephen Hawking is known for his work regarding black holes and for authoring several popular science books. He suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

John Hawkins was a 16th century British naval commander and slave trader who entered into conflict with Spain.

Economist F.A. Hayek was noted for his criticisms of the Keynesian welfare state and of totalitarian socialism. In 1974 he shared the Nobel Prize for Economics.

Tony Hayward was the CEO of BP when its rig Deepwater Horizon sank in the Gulf of Mexico, creating one of the greatest environmental disasters ever.

Henry VIII, king of England, was famously married six times and played a critical role in the English Reformation, turning his country into a Protestant nation.

English poet George Herbert was an ordained priest. His book, The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations, was published posthumously.

James Herriot was a British veterinarian and author best known for his books detailing life as a country vet. Two films and a TV series were based on his book All Creatures Great and Small.

Robert Hichens was a British mariner best known for being at the wheel of the RMS Titanic when it hit the iceberg that resulted in its sinking.

Benny Hill, the British comedian, is best known for his long running comedy series that would play in 109 countries.

Myra Hindley was an serial killer of small children, murders she committed in partnership with boyfriend Ian Brady.

British artist Damien Hirst has shocked and surprised the art world with his unusual works, including glass displays of dead animals and medicine cabinet sculptures.

Filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was nicknamed the "Master of Suspense" for employing a kind of psychological suspense in his films, producing a distinct viewer experience.

Christopher Hitchens was a controversial, thought-provoking British-American writer who covered a range of serious topics, including art and atheism.

Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher in the 17th century, was best known for his book Leviathan (1651) and his political views on society.

Known for his photo collages and paintings of Los Angeles swimming pools, David Hockney is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century.

Ian Holm is best known for playing Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He also had notable parts in Alien, The Fifth Element and The Sweet Hereafter.

Robert Hooke was an English philosopher, mathematician and architect who discovered the law of elasticity, now known as Hooke's law.

British inventor Jonathan Carter worked for James Watt. Seeking to improve on Watt's design, he devised the first reciprocating compound steam engine.

A.E. Housman was an English scholar and poet whose poems were based on classical models and expressed a Romantic pessimism in a spare, simple style. He published two volumes of poetry: A Shropshire Lad and Last Poems.

English explorer Henry Hudson embarked on multiple sailing voyages that provided new information on North American water routes.

Writer Ted Hughes wrote poetry, non-fiction and children’s books. He was married to poet Sylvia Plath who committed suicide a year after he left her.

Donald Hume is best known for beating a murder charge in England and then being caught for another murder in Switzerland.

British singer Engelbert Humperdinck made it big in 1967 with hit song "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)."

A in-demand fashion model, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has appeared in top magazines, countless ad campaigns and 2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon movie.

British college caretaker Ian Huntley was arrested for two murders in 2002 after a highly publicized search for his 10-year-old victims.

Cuban born writer Guillermo Infante was a success for many works, including Tres tristes tigres, winning the Miguel Cervantes literary prize in 1997.

Theater, film and television actor Jeremy Irons starred in the popular movies Reversal of Fortune, The Lion King, Lolita, Being Julia and The Fourth Angel.

J.B.S. Haldane was a British geneticist who helped found the theories of population genetics.

Infamous murderer Jack the Ripper killed at least five London female prostitutes in 1888. Never captured, his identity is one of English's most famous unsolved mysteries.

Glenda Jackson is best known for her Academy Award winning roles in Women in Love and A Touch of Class.

As the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger has become a rock legend for his gritty, blues-influenced songs and for his charismatic stage presence.

An American novelist and naturalized Englishman, Henry James was an important figure in transatlantic literary culture of the day.

P.D. James is an English mystery writer best known for her series of novels featuring fictional detective Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard.

Elton John is a British singer, pianist and composer who was one of the most popular musicians of the 20th century. Along with selling more than 250 million records he has found success on Broadway, composing the music score for the Tony award winning hit Billy Elliot (2008).

Actor Aaron Johnson has appeared in such films as Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy, Savages and Anna Karenina.

Brian Jones was a guitarist for rock-and-roll band the Rolling Stones.

Davy Jones is a singer and actor who found fame as the singer for the band the Monkees on the TV show by the same name.

Inigo Jones was a British architect best known as the first prominent architect in England for his work on the Queens House in Greenwich (1616) and the Banqueting House in Whitehall (1619).

English musician Mick Jones was a guitarist and singer for the punk rock band The Clash.

Steve Jones was the guitarist for the pioneering English punk rock band the Sex Pistols.

William Joyce is best known for his involvement in the British Fascist Party during World War II and immigrating to Nazi Germany.

Reggae and ska musician Judge Dread produced a string of hits in the 1970s, such as Big Six and several others that were banned by the BBC for their sexual innuendo.

Boris Karloff was an English-born actor whose name became synonymous with horror movies.

English Romantic lyric poet John Keats was dedicated to the perfection of poetry marked by vivid imagery that expressed a philosophy through classical legend.

William Kempe was one of the most famous clowns of the Elizabethan era and originated some of Shakespeare's comedic characters.

Deborah Kerr was a Scottish actress known for the poise and serenity she exhibited in portraying complex, prim characters.

William Kidd is one of the most famous pirates in history, remembered for his execution for piracy on the Indian Ocean.

Legendary King Arthur formed the Knights of the Round Table and defended ancient Wales from encroaching Saxons.

Ben Kingsley is an Academy Award-winning actor known for his work in films like Gandhi, Bugsy and Schindler’s List.

Alex Kingston is a British actress best known internationally for her role as Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the American hit TV show ER, and for playing the title role in the 1996 U.K. miniseries The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders.